I soured on Count My Vote when they initially claimed they were going to improve
the caucus system and then ended up dumping it altogether in favor of a primary
only approach. Bramble's bill decreases the power of the delegates,
increases the likelihood of a primary and opens up all primaries to unaffiliated
as well as party voters. It combines the best of both the caucuses and the
primary system. I support SB 54.

2014 SB 54 Elections Amendments, A proposal for the Utah Legislature to adopt
Count My Vote, prior to knowing if they get enough signatures, and prior to a
vote in November if they do. It provides exceptions, one of which would ruin the
Same Day Ballot that the GOP is adding to increase participation for
Neighborhood Caucus Election night.

Many citizens who attend their
neighborhood elections and caucus meeting become interested in politics and get
involved in their communities, the state and the nation. They meet and help
candidates become elected. Some then later become candidates. This should be
encouraged through education. SB 54, lines 796 to 800 ruins that and should be
amended.

Again, we need to amend it to allow greater participation
by those that are new to the process. Delete lines 796 to 800. This will allow
someone new to run the night of the meeting. We have and should have incentives
to file and run for delegate or precinct chair prior to the meeting, but as
drafted, the bill reduces participation.

When you hear of a complaint at the equality protests, and the clean air
protests and finally this, what do you do but let people know? It is clear there
are wonderful people on both sides of this issue. What I don't know is who
decided to hire this group. They are being paid per signature and have real
packets. We have had multiple people in multiple counties complain to us about
out of state signature gatherers that either had no clue about the petition they
were getting signatures or worse, would tell people it was something else.

Even the signature gatherers at many of the events don't know that
Count My Vote has no effect on voting who would vote in a GOP Primary.

SB54 is no change to the system at all, anyone who wants to challenge the party
political machine must get the party's permission which means nothing will
change.

The intent of the count my vote is a peoples choice and there
is no illegal way to collect signatures of registered voters, those in power are
the wealthy of Utah and serve only the wealthy in Utah and this is what the
people and voters of Utah want to eliminate. A government of the rich by the
rich and for the rich will no longer be tolerated. The republicans are a do
nothing self serving selfish organization refuse to represent the citizen
subjects.

This initiative is to restore constitutional government and
representation of the people as it is supposed to be. It is the right of the
people to challenge selfish political powers and political parties have no
authority to grant themselves immunity to constitutional rights of citizens.
They cannot shield themselves from accountability and establish a political
party as our form of govnermnt, its unconstitutional.

This count my
vote must be a real threat to those in power, so it must be a good American
cause.

The media would LOVE to move to an open primary and have a vested interest that
prevents them from opposing it. Why? First they would make lots more money in
advertisements during the campaigns. Second they would be able to control every
election, because everything would be run through the media, just like the past
Presidential election! CMV does NOT count everyone's vote, but they are
trying to BUY everyone's signature. Don't sign it!

I have heard from both camps. The Republicans of Utah have a right to choose
whether or not to pass 'Count My Vote'. It is appalling that the
party leaders are so against having that option on the ballot. The signatures
only allow the option to be on the next ballot. Many people in healthcare, or
who work jobs in which they have no option to 'get off' for the
evening, are denied the chance to participate in the Caucus system. I find the
solution being offered by the party leaders to be dubious. Unfortunately, one
of the most frustrating aspects of the Caucus System will not be addressed:
Delegates (who vote for us) will continue to have private ballots when they vote
at the conventions. It has been said by party leaders that the delegates often
know best what the general public doesn't know about the bills/candidates
and so they may not vote with the majority of those they represent. Sometimes I
have agreed with the results and sometimes I have been shocked by the results. I
believe that we deserve to have the opportunity to decide for ourselves
regarding CMV.

The Media loves to bash the caucus system. They can use their influence to
cleverly convince under informed voters to vote for causes the media wants
(usually liberal - especially the Trib) that do not line up with traditional
Utah family values. Don't fall for it. If you want to have a say in Utah
politics attend the caucuses, get elected delegates, attend the conventions etc.
By then you will have become a fully informed voter instead of an
under-informed one, like the ones who voted in Obama. Utah is consistently
voted one of the best states to live in. It's because of our informed
voters, delegates and Legislators. Don't try to fix what isn't
broken.

The current system has its advantages -- it does make it easier for people to
run for office. But it does so by limiting the number of people who have a say
in the decision. All a candidate has to do be nominated is to convince a few
thousand people to vote for him/her. The candidate doesn't have to appeal
to the masses at all until the general election, when, in most Utah elections,
the result is a foregone conclusion and the races aren't competitive. CMV
gives more people influence in the nominating process -- why is that a bad
thing? If you're not a delegate, you have ZERO influence or say in the
nominating process, even if you attend the mass meetings. I'm a delegate,
and I can vote anyway I please, regardless of what my neighbors want. My
neighbors can talk to me, but that's the only influence they have on the
process. They have no say. That is not fair, and the system excludes everyone
who is not a delegate. What a joke!

I am a card-carrying, dyed-on-the-wool Republican and I am disgusted by our
caucus and convention system. My wife and I moved to Utah to go to graduate
school 16 years ago to be closer to a community that shares our beliefs and
conservative values. At our first caucus meeting in SLC my wife was told to go
home and watch the children while "the brethren" discuss politics. Two
years later when we moved to an upper middle class neighborhood in central Davis
County, our local caucus leaders again discouraged my wife from attending. I
have also watched caucus groupthink at its worst by selecting the most obnoxious
extreme delegates on the basis of literally shouting cogent discussion with
fearmongering. I have watched women, minorities, and the young deliberately
ignored and passed over in our "neighborhood" caucus, and I can't
sit idle anymore and let this farce continue.